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CaveLeather
The longship, like a sharp blade, cleaved through the dark green waves of Ironman's Bay, finally making landfall in the riverlands south of Seagard.
Abandoning the boats for land, the group didn't turn southeast toward King's Landing. Instead, they rode straight for the heart of the Riverlands—Riverrun.
At this time, Eddard Stark and his wife, Catelyn Tully, were staying at Riverrun, the seat of Catelyn's father, Lord Hoster Tully. Euron planned to meet them here first, then travel together to King's Landing for King Robert's coronation.
When Ned Stark saw the dust-covered Euron in the Great Hall of Riverrun, genuine joy lit up his usually solemn face. He strode forward and gave his old friend a solid embrace.
"It is good to see you, Euron," Ned said, his voice carrying the steady calmness typical of Northerners. But his gaze involuntarily drifted over Euron's shoulder, searching behind him. "Are Ashara and Daeron not with you?" A trace of imperceptible disappointment flashed in his grey eyes.
Euron smiled understandingly and explained, "Ashara is... expecting. Long travel isn't suitable for her right now."
Ned froze for a moment, then a heartfelt smile bloomed on his face. He clapped Euron firmly on the shoulder. "That is wonderful news! Congratulations!" The blessing was pure and sincere, without a hint of impurity.
At this moment, Catelyn Tully approached, cradling their eldest son, Robb. The infant in swaddling clothes had the blue eyes and soft auburn hair of House Tully, sleeping peacefully. Catelyn nodded gracefully to Euron, her face bearing the tenderness and slight fatigue of a new mother.
After exchanging pleasantries and resting for a night under Lord Hoster's hospitality, they planned to depart for King's Landing at dawn.
Euron entered the guest room prepared for him. The fatigue of the journey didn't bring sleepiness. He raised his left hand, his gaze landing on the ring bearing the Dayne sigil on his ring finger. Since merging the [Door-Door Fruit]'s ability into it, he hadn't truly tested the limits of its long-distance travel.
Tonight was the perfect opportunity.
With a thought, needing no spell or ritual, his mind gently touched the spatial power deep within the ring. Then, he made a seemingly casual slashing motion with his left hand—
Rrrrip!
A very faint sound, like silk being quietly torn, was exceptionally clear in the silent room. The air before him split open. A dark fissure, its edges flowing with faint light, appeared out of nowhere. Its interior was endlessly deep, as if connecting to an unknown shore.
Without hesitation, Euron flashed into the rift. After he entered, the fissure closed rapidly like a healing wound. The room returned to peace, as if nothing had ever happened.
---
Dorne
Sunspear
Tower of the Sun
Elia's Chambers
The room was divided by a heavy curtain.
On one side, the faint sound of splashing water could be heard. Elia was bathing in a tub, the dim light casting her slender, shadowy silhouette onto the curtain.
On the other side, the Sorrowful Man—Victoria—was holding little Caesar, pacing gently in the limited space, swaying left and right to soothe him. Rhaenys was already fast asleep in a small bed by the wall, her breathing even and cheeks rosy, looking sweet and peaceful.
Little Caesar's fuzzy head, however, was restless. He kept rooting around in Victoria's embrace, making fussy whimpering noises. Clearly, he was hungry.
"Hungry, little one?" Victoria lowered her voice, smiling helplessly. "But Mama is still bathing. Wait a little longer, okay?"
However, the hungry Caesar understood none of this comfort. A small hand began pawing directly at Victoria's collar, instinctively searching for a source of milk. When Victoria gently stopped him, his little mouth turned down, his eyes reddened quickly, and he looked ready to wail.
Victoria glanced at the curtain where Elia was still bathing, then looked down at the aggrieved, about-to-explode little guy in her arms. After a brief hesitation, she sighed softly.
"Alright, alright," she whispered in compromise, carefully undoing her collar. "I'll let you have a taste to keep you quiet... but there's no milk, you know."
Just then—
Half a step behind Victoria, the air in mid-air tore open silently as if by an invisible hand. A dark fissure with glowing edges opened without a sound or a stir of air.
The next moment, Euron leaned out, intending to observe his surroundings.
However, his gaze had barely penetrated the rift, before he could even see the full room, when he ran straight into this unexpected scene.
"Eh? Victoria, you handle the breastfeeding personally now?"
This teasing voice, suddenly sounding from behind, made Victoria shudder violently!
The instincts of a top assassin instantly overrode everything. Her muscles tensed abruptly, every hair standing on end. Her right hand shot into her left sleeve like lightning, gripping the hilt of a hidden stiletto.
Without a second of hesitation, clutching little Caesar, she executed a swift forward roll, cleanly putting several paces between herself and the source of the voice. While rolling, she had already carefully placed the infant securely on the floor beside her.
When she stabilized herself on one knee, whipped her head up, and shot a gaze sharp as a blade at the intruder, the expression on her face froze instantly, turning into utter shock.
"Euron?!"
She never expected the person who suddenly appeared and teased her would be him.
Her assassin's instincts made her doubt!
Just a few days ago, Prince Oberyn had visited his sister Elia before leaving for King's Landing. In conversation, he mentioned that Euron Greyjoy had also received an invitation and would certainly appear in the capital.
And just the day before yesterday, Elia had used the precious magic snail to let little Caesar talk to Euron, who was far away on Iron Wind Island. At that time, the voice from the other end clearly stated he was still on the Iron Islands and would depart for King's Landing soon.
By all logic, it was impossible for him to be in Sunspear right now, let alone infiltrate her room so silently in such a bizarre manner!
So, the person before her...
Not him?
Is it a mask exquisite enough to pass for real skin? Or some profound magic she couldn't understand? An illusion to confuse the mind, or some visual trickery?
Victoria's eyes suddenly became incredibly sharp, locking onto this uninvited guest wearing Euron's face like the keenest blade. Her body, slightly relaxed a moment ago, entered a hair-trigger combat state again. She gripped the stiletto tight, her voice cold. "Who are you?"
Hearing this, Euron looked exasperated. "Who can I be? Victoria, we saw each other a few months ago. You haven't forgotten me so quickly, have you?"
Just then, the curtain was yanked open. Elia had clearly heard the commotion. She hurriedly threw on a silk robe, her wet hair still dripping. When she saw the visitor's face, she blurted out in equal shock, "Euron!?"
"Don't go near him!" Victoria lunged to shield Elia, her gaze hawk-like, fixed on Euron. "Something's wrong! Two days ago on the magic snail, he was clearly with Ashara on Iron Wind Island. How could he appear in Dorne instantly?" Her gaze swept over him quickly, finally fixing on his waist. "And those two swords—the patterns on the scabbards, the size, they aren't the ones Euron usually wears!"
Reminded by her, Elia also became alert immediately, her eyes turning cold. "Who are you really? Where is the real Euron? I warn you, take one more step and I will call the guards!"
Being questioned by both women, Euron was stunned at first, then seemingly realizing something, he shook his head with a helpless laugh. He carefully took out a magic snail emitting a soft golden glow from his chest. "This unique 'Phone Snail' should prove my identity, right? Only you and I have these."
Suspicion eased slightly, but vigilance remained—one item was far from enough proof!
Euron had to spend a lot of breath, using secrets only they knew—like where Victoria first tried to assassinate him, or what magic item he used and what scenes he showed Elia in the underground chamber of Harrenhal... After a long time, he finally, painstakingly, explained the seemingly simple yet incredibly complex fact that "I am Euron" to the two wary women.
Victoria approached hesitantly, her guard not fully down. She reached out, forcefully rubbing and pressing Euron's cheeks and jawline, carefully checking the texture and feel of every inch of skin, confirming it wasn't disguised by any clever mask.
And Euron, throughout this process, cooperated by keeping his head lowered, saying nothing.
Only after a while, when Victoria finally stopped and was about to speak, did he suddenly raise his eyes and mutter a sentence in a low voice, laced with imperceptible teasing. "Couldn't tell before... quite big and full~~~"
Victoria froze. Only then did she realize with a start—from the moment she heard Euron's voice until now, she had forgotten to pull her undone collar back together!
"You... rogue!"
Her cheeks flushed red instantly. Amidst shame and anger, she jerked back several steps, quickly pulling her clothes tight to cover herself completely. She glared at Euron viciously, her eyes almost spitting fire. Finally saying nothing more, she turned with gritted teeth, yanked the door open, and stormed out without looking back.
Elia shot Euron an annoyed look, her tone carrying a bit of rebuke. "Victoria is still a young girl after all. How could you tease her like that?"
Euron shrugged, wearing an expression of innocent matter-of-factness. "Just telling the truth. It was a sincere compliment."
Elia decided not to dwell on the topic, asking instead, "Seriously, how did you suddenly appear in Dorne? Shouldn't you be on your way to King's Landing?"
Euron didn't answer directly. He smiled mysteriously and raised his left hand. The ring gleamed in the light. With a thought, he swiped casually in the air. A spatial fissure with glowing edges appeared soundlessly in the room.
"This is..." Elia covered her mouth in surprise.
"A little new ability," Euron explained lightly, then dismissed the rift.
Elia was shocked at first, then her eyes lit up with bright radiance, as if thinking of something wonderful. Her voice carried excitement. "Does that mean... you can come here every day from now on?"
Euron looked deeply into her eyes, his gaze gentle and focused. "As long as you wish, of course I can."
A blush spread across Elia's cheeks like sunset. Her lips parted slightly, heart racing, unsure for a moment how to respond to this sudden, tangible promise.
"Wah—!"
Just then, little Caesar, crawling on the floor, finally reached his mother's feet. He tugged at Elia's skirt, letting out a loud cry. Clearly, he couldn't wait to eat any longer.
The cry broke the subtle atmosphere between them. Euron grinned, looking at Elia mischievously. "Seems my son can't wait. Better feed him something quick."
He himself showed no intention of leaving, standing there with great interest, unmoving.
Elia's blush deepened. She spat at him in shame and annoyance, picking up the child and turning toward the inner room. "Victoria was absolutely right... You really are shameless!"
Moments later, Euron walked slowly behind Elia. He took a clean soft cloth and gently began to dry her still-dripping long hair. Elia's body trembled slightly, but she didn't refuse, sitting quietly and letting him tend to her.
He patiently dried her thick hair strand by strand. Finally, he gently swept all the slightly damp hair to one shoulder, exposing the other side of her neck, slender and elegant as a swan's. Under the dim light, that patch of skin looked exceptionally pale and fragile.
Since he had already been labeled "shameless," Euron decided to make the name stick. He lowered his head, gently approaching that exposed skin. The tip of his nose was filled with the fresh scent of her bath mixed with her unique fragrance.
His gaze fell on Caesar, who was sucking diligently in her arms. Lowering his voice, he whispered in her ear with a teasing smile, "Look how deliciously our son eats."
Elia's ears turned red. She whispered back, "Delicious my foot... there's hardly any milk left, it's just to comfort him to sleep."
Warm breath brushed her sensitive ear. Euron's voice dropped even lower, carrying undisguised intent. "Then... I also want to taste what my son's dinner is like every day."
"Pah, pah, pah!"
By now, little Caesar was finally satisfied and fell into a deep sleep.
Elia had just carefully placed the child beside her, and before she could react, Euron leaned down. With a strong arm, he scooped her up.
Holding Elia, whose face was flushed peach-pink as she bit her lower lip lightly, Euron walked steadily toward the large bed covered in soft tapestry.
"Both children are sleeping..."
"Be gentle, I haven't..."
The room filled with the essence of spring.